第8部分(第2/7 頁)

uba　diver　appeared　at　the　porthole；　waved。　The　pilot　waved　back。

There　was　a　sloshing　sound；　then　a　deep　rumble；　and　they　started　down。

〃As　you　see；　the　whole　sled　goes　under；〃　the　pilot　explained。　〃The　sub's　not　stable　on　the　surface；　so　we　sled　her　up　and　down。　We'll　leave　the　sled　at　about　a　hundred　feet　or　so。

Through　the　porthole；　they　saw　the　diver　standing　on　the　deck；　the　water　now　waist…deep。　Then　the　water　covered　the　porthole。　Bubbles　came　out　of　the　diver's　scuba。

〃We're　under；〃　the　pilot　said。　He　adjusted　valves　above　his　head　and　they　heard　the　hiss　of　air；　startlingly　loud。　More　gurgling。　The　light　in　the　submarine　from　the　porthole　was　a　beautiful　blue。

〃Lovely；〃　Ted　said。

〃We'll　leave　the　sled　now；〃　the　pilot　said。　Motors　rumbled　and　the　sub　moved　forward；　the　diver　slipping　off　to　one　side。　Now　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen　through　the　porthole　but　undifferentiated　blue　water。　The　pilot　said　something　on　the　radio；　and　turned　up　the　Mozart。

〃Just　sit　back；　gentlemen；〃　he　said。　〃Descending　eighty　feet　a　minute。〃

Norman　felt　the　rumble　of　the　electric　motors；　but　there　was　no　real　sense　of　motion。　All　that　happened　was　that　it　got　darker　and　darker。

＇＇49＇＇　〃You　know；〃　Ted　said；　〃we're　really　quite　lucky　about　this　site。　Most　parts　of　the　Pacific　are　so　deep　we'd　never　be　able　to　visit　it　in　person。〃　He　explained　that　the　vast　Pacific　Ocean；　which　amounted　to　half　the　total　surface　area　of　the　Earth；　had　an　average　depth　of　two　miles。　〃There　are　only　a　few　places　where　it　is　less。　One　is　the　relatively　small　rectangle　bounded　by　Samoa；　New　Zealand；　Australia；　and　New　Guinea；　which　is　actually　a　great　undersea　plain；　like　the　plains　of　the　American　West；　except　it's　at　an　average　depth　of　two　th